Identification card



Aug. 3, 1937. J. McK. BALLOU IDENTIFICATION CARD File d Oct. 22, 1954 Ma a M Patented Aug. 3, 1937 UNITED STATES IDENTIFICATION CARD John McK. Ballou, Los' Angeles, Calif., assignor to 0. H. Kruger,

Los Angeles, Calif.

Application October 22, 1934, Serial No. 749,470

. Claims.

This invention relates to devices used by an individual person for the sake of identificationa destructible identification can be kept from transferring to or from being copied upon the surface of a background while the identification -is being destroyed.

Another object isto provide means by which an easily distinguishable mark is left upon any background when the identification is destroyed upon such background.

Another object is to provide means whereby,

the identification will at least appearin a distorted manner upon any background upon which the identification has been destroyed.

Other objects will appear fromthe following description and appended claims as well as from the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a front elevation, roughly outlining an identification card of the type of this invention.

Fig. 2 is an illustration showing the different members of the card in a separated condition in edgeview.

Fig. 3 is a similar illustration of a slightly modified form.

Fig. 4 is another similar illustration of a furthermore slightly modified form.

5 is a similar illustration of a still further slightly modified form.

In order that an identification may be considered positive and reliable, it must contain something that is original and distinctive with or by the holder, securely arranged so that it cannot be altered by anyone for any misrepresentation.

A positive and reliable identification should furthermore be in a form tobe quickly and readily recognized as such.

With the above in view, the identification card proper G is disposed under a transparent cover I.

The cover is preferably made of a material, such as celluoid, that can be dissolved in certain solvents, and any identification matter on or in the card is preferably made or constituted of matter, such as ink or coloring, that will also dissolve by means of the same solvent, so that an application of such a solvent will result in a destruction of the identification on a removal of the cover by the solvent.

Of course, different transparent materials may be'used other than of celluloid, and such different materials may be dissolvable by different solvents, but the point is that the identification matter will always be made of a medium dissolvable by the same solvent by which the cover can be dissolved, so that no identification matter will be left on any attempt of dissolving the cover for the sake of obtaining the identification for misrepresentation or alteration.

In Fig. 3, for instance, 8 designates certain identification matter applied to the card 6, to be covered by the members 1. Making the matter at 8 of a material that will be dissolved by the same .solvent that can dissolve the cover 1 leaves nothing on or in the card 6 that could be used over again by a forger'.

Such matter may be varied according to requirements in particular cases, or tastes of users, or difierent conditions that cannot all be recited here but that will readily be realized from the teachings in this application. for instance, may be in form of a trade-mark, readily distinguished, or made according to certain laws that may be provided for such purposes, or the matter 8 may be in form of a photograph, or a signature, but any such matter is specially produced, developed, arranged, or otherwise made to appear in the card proper by such means, ink or other matter or medium, that will dissolve by the same solvent that does dissolve the transparent cover, regardless of the type'of cover used, with respect of the particular material in the cover.

Having such matter firmly and securely held with respect to the encased card undersuch cover, prevents the use of such matter for the purpose of any forgery, inasmuch as the matter cannot very well be used while under such cover for making any new duplicate for a cut to be 'used for re-prints, and the sealing under the cover is produced so that the card with the matter cannot possibly be removed from the cover for forgeries in any other manner. 1

It must be. understood that the cover is firmly secured to the card by any suitable known proc- The matter 8,

ess, whereby a removal of the cover will cause the matter, in a form dlssolvable with and by the same solvent that will dissolve the cover.

The modified form illustrated in Fig. 2 serves merely to make the distinguishing controlling 5 matter more secure against forgery, and more secure against any attempt for removal from the enclosing covers. The matter as in this form is mounted or provided on a special sheet 9. This sheet is either firmly secured to the faceof the I card proper 6 or may just as well be merely inserted between the encased card 6 and the corresponding cover I.

The sheet 9, however, is preferably made of a material that will not at all or at least not readily dissolve by the solvent that may dissolve the cover.

This feature has the advantage that the distinguishing controlling matter, or identification, during the dissolving'of the cover will not trace itself uponthe face of the card proper; while, with no such sheet, someone might be able to develop a system or process to trace or reproduce the matter 8 upon the face of the' card proper during or on dissolving the cover.

The matter 8b, also indicated in Fig. 2, may,

regardless, designate some identification matter directly on the card, but, of course, also of a type that will dissolve together with the cover. The above should not mean that no common printing matter could or should be used in or with the present identification card, or with the specially produced distinguishing controlling matter that will dissolve with the dissolving of the cover, but such common printing matter,

3 again, is protected against forgery by the nonforgeable co-operating distinguishing controlling matter.

In Fig. 4 is another slightly modified form, in which half of the matter is provided on one side 40 of the sheet 98,, as indicated at 8c, and the other half of'the matter is provided on the opposite side as indicated at 8d.

The sheet in this case must, of course, be of transparent form, such as Cellophane, neverth'eless, a dissolving of the cover will result in a distortion of the matter no matter where it may be left or traced. However, while in proper .form,.the transparency of the Cellophane, if such is used, will allow a proper appearance of the complete matter through or under the intact cover.

A still further modified form illustrated in Fig. 5 provides a blot of black or dark form, made of a material that will partly dissolve by the solvent that can dissolve the cover, to such an extent that the blot will expand or appear blurred sumciently to extend beyond the edges of the sheet I, the blotting material being indicated at H, while the'matter 8. may appear in the usual manner on the front face of the sheet ll, this sheet it, of course, to be of a material dissolvable by the solvent;

From the above it must be understood that the main principle involved is to provide an easily distinguishableappearance with distinct and clear-cut outlines when and while in undisturbed form and condition, which, however, V

photograph is produced on a film of material that will be dissolved with the solvent that can dissolve the cover. Assuming, for instance, 8. in Fig. 2 to represent a photograph, such a photograph will became dissolved with the cover as 5 soon as the solvent reaches it. The sheet 8, in this case, prevents a tracing, above referred to, that by a suitable process might be attempted to be made from the matter at 8a to the card proper 6 while dissolving the cover. A tracing 10 of this sort might be attempted for the sake of getting a distinguishing. controlling matter on the card in case where a forger intends to substitute his own. photograph to appear with such traced distinguishing controlling matter as 16 if originally produced together, and therefore as a genuine and proper identification, which, however it would not be.

The material of the sheet 9, o, on the other hand is meant to be of a type to be insoluble or 20 impervious to the solvent that will affect the cover, the material of such sheet to be such as aluminum, Cellophane, metal foil, or any other similar suitable base, depending on the material of the cover, the material of the sheet not to be 2! dissolved by any solvent that will dissolve the particular cover used in different cases.

The blot li also, may be of a certain solid or semi-solid form, normally disposed loosely or firmly secured between the other members of the completed identification card; and, of course, this blotting, blurring, and distorting material ll may as well be directly under a photograph-film without any impervious sheet 9.

It should furthermore be understood that the l matter 8:, serves as a distorting medium with respect to the distinguishing controlling matter 8a, so that a. dissolving of the controlling matter or of any photograph or other identifying matter of the holder of a card of this a sortwill be clearly indicated. by a distortion of matter at 8b, naturally surrounding such other matter or being near enough to be acted upon by any solvent that might be used on such identifying matter. V 5

It should then be understood that the different and several members or details of such an arrangement are placed one on top of the'other prior to being adhesively pressed into the cover, and, while so placed, preparatory to being ad- 0 hesively pressed into the cover, may be treated with adhesive matter individually to adhere to one another or the diflerent parts or members or details may just be held in place within the adhesively united cover without being individually 55 glued together in any way or manner. From the above it should be understood that the extremely distinct separations of the materials are illustrated of discernible thicknesses only as a matter of complying with the requirements of the patent laws, and that, in fact, such separations do not exist in all cases so clearly discernibly, as, for instance, in case of mere ink or similar matter, such as a trade-mark, as clearly and more fully set forth hereinbefore, in which case 65 the matter 8e may very well be the sensitized surface of a film, which may be represented by or in the sheet it, which, in such a case, or under certain requirements, may again be extremely thin so that the blot-material will be reached readily and quickly after any attack by a solvent upon the matter c.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:- 1. In an identification card, a cover that may be dissolved by a certain solvent, a card proper 7 disposed under the cover, and distinguishing matter made to dissolve by the same solventand associated with the card and the cover so as to disclose tampering with the card to the extent of reaching the matter by means of such solvent through distortion of the matter by the action of the contacting solvent.

2. In an identification card, a cover that may be dissolved by a certain solvent, a card proper disposed under the cover and adhering thereto, distinguishing matter on the card made of a medium dissolvable by the same solvent by which the cover may be dissolved, and means disposed to produce a distorted appearance of a portion of the card upon being reached by the solvent.

3. In an identification card, a cover that may be dissolved by a certain solvent, a card proper disposed under the cover and adhering thereto, distinguishing matter on the card made of a medium. dissolvable by the same solvent by which the cover may be dissolved, and means normally covered byt'he matter and arranged to produce a distorted appearance under the cover upon being reached by the solvent.

4. In an identification card, a cover that may be dissolved by a certain solvent, a card proper disposed under the cover, distinguishing matter under the cover and appearing on the face of the card when the card is incased, the matter being made of a medium also dissolvable by the same solvent by which the cover may be dissolved, and means associated with the matter to produce a distorted appearance upon being reached by the solvent. I i

5. In an identification card, a cover made to dissolve by a certain solvent, a card proper disposed under the cover, distinguishing matter under the cover and made to dissolve by the same solvent, and means to disclose any tampering with the card to.the extent of reaching the mat 

